Pictured is the exterior of the new addition to Appomattox County High School. Image: Charles Conrad/Times Virginian archives

On May 11, the Virginia Board of Education approved the award of a School Construction Assistance Grant to Appomattox County Public Schools (ACPS) in the amount of $4.5 million. Appomattox is one of 45 school construction projects statewide to receive a grant.

The Virginia Public School Construction grants are the result of the 2022 Special Session I General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s creation of the School Construction Assistance Program, providing $450 million in fiscal year 2023 state funds to support competitive grants for “new school construction, additions, and major building renovations.”

According to Division Superintendent Annette Bennett, ACPS applied for this grant in March to help with the cost of renovating Appomattox County High School (ACHS).

“We are thrilled to have had our application accepted for this funding. It could not have come at a better time,” Bennett said.

ACHS, built in 1974, has recently been targeted by the county and schools for building upgrades. In April of 2020, ACPS received an unsolicited proposal to renovate and expand ACHS from Jamerson Lewis Construction. In May 2021, the county and schools began a collaborative project to upgrade the HVAC system in the entire school and build a 21,000 square foot addition, housing 13 new classrooms, a new administrative and guidance area, and provide a secure public entrance to the building. With cost savings in this project, ACPS was also able to renovate the cafeteria and library spaces.

This past January, the schools began renovating some of the other classrooms in the original building using construction funds allocated to public schools by Gov. Youngkin in the 22-23 state budget.

“We are so grateful that the state has recognized the financial need of localities like ours for improvements to aging school facilities, and we couldn’t be more excited to accept this additional grant funding which will go a long way in our efforts to renovate our high school," Bennett said.